General News
27 February, 2026
Guru backs tree battle
CELEBRITY gardener Costa Georgiadis has thrown his support behind efforts to protect a mature rain tree in Freshwater, describing its value to the community as “priceless”.
Speaking beneath the canopy on Old Smithfield Road, the host of the ABC’s Gardening Australia said established trees offered “so many layers of service to the environment, but also to the community”.
“The canopy cools the area under it. And in an urban environment where urban heat gets more and more with every year and every bit of development, you know, having an established canopy that takes decades, you know, this is, this (tree) is a century old,” he said.
“You can’t think, oh, well, we’ll just replace this with five other trees down the road, that’s not in our lifetime. We, we are merely caretakers for this tree.”
Mr Georgiadis said the “value of these trees is priceless” and “far outweighs any residential building, lot, price”.
“And Cairns is a city of trees and the rainforest, but then equally, it’s the city of the Reef, which is the forest under the water,” he said.
Denis Walls, convener of BirdLife Australia North Queensland, said the tree was already supporting wildlife, including fig parrots and cockatoos observed during the morning gathering.
“Each one of those trees in a place like this is creating its own little ecosystem,” he said.
“So every, every, every linkage, every pathway, you know, is important.”
Monique Jeffs, community organiser for the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC), said similar concerns were emerging across the city.
“We’ve been seeing that this is what’s happening with this tree here in Freshwater is happening across Cairns, where tree approvals are getting put through council without consideration for the impacts of heat and community ecosystems,” she said.
“These large trees form a network throughout the city that provides safe havens for our wildlife to travel through the city safely.”
Local arborist Gavin Ibbett said the community should not have to fight to retain a healthy tree.
“I am an arborist. I have chopped trees down 100%, but this is a healthy tree. This is in its prime,” he said.
“We need our big trees, shade, tropical heat.”
Ms Jeffs said CAFNEC and the tree action group were calling for changes to the vegetation management code and the creation of “a significant and acceptable tree register”.
The Freshwater Raintree Action Group is continuing to campaign for the tree’s protection as discussions around its future continue.
